Art, Music and Words around The Coffee Table

Stopping by to share a cup with some old friends. This piece is part of my new altered book series, “Liquid Topaz.” It’s been a fun summer project. I should be finishing it up this week, so I can call it done before the kids start school next week. Symphony rehearsals start up again in a couple weeks, so I need to put more time into practicing my violin.

Sitting outside the Wine Market on a hot summer night.

I’ve been selling my art at more outdoor venues. Just last Friday night was one of the fun Art Walks on the Square. I enjoy being a part of this growing creative community, and there is a wonderful energy to interacting with potential customers this way. I’ve got more Art Walk pics at my gallery blog. I’ve entertained thoughts of playing my violin outside at one of these events, when it cools off a little. I’ll keep y’all posted on how that goes 🙂

Starting on my trip
In my new white spaceship,
I thought I would cry
When I hit a blueberry pie.
Certainly this would stain!
Who knew it would rain
Bananas, oranges and kiwi
So dense I could hardly see?
I heard tomatoes splat,
And when I thought that was that,
Space coffee flew past.
I had to think fast.
I filled my cup, grabbed a cake,
And landed for a coffee break.

# Inspired enthusiasm. This is the way to know if what your doing is working for you. So whenever there is inspiration and enthusiasm there is creative empowerment that goes far beyond what a mere person is capable of. I gleamed this from reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. Kind of ties into what Stephen King says in On Writing too. Just write when you get an inspired idea and see where it takes you. That inspiration usually contains the essence of enthusiasm when you can’t wait to get out of bed everyday to write.

# I found this on the net today for Google Alert – Farrar, Straus, & Giroux: namelos: Publishing the old, old way. Part I http://bit.ly/4LqViF | Highly recommend reading the first of several forthcoming parts from Steven Roxburhg

#f journal entry 30.08.09 I want to be in great health. There’s so much I want to do. Now. There’s an insanity that sets in your mind when you desire to be published so much. And I think this is tragic. Its silent; destructive; and theres a trail. Anyone on that trail cannot help but step in it. Thats another tragedy. So what I stand for I don’t care if you care. I stand for a healthy state of mind. And I do what I love. Writing. I don’t care to be published. Its not important anymore. Its a way of life for me to write and to live joyfully. Just think about how tragic it is when an obsessive “I want to be a published writer” behavior leads to drug and alcohol abuse disguised as the muse in one’s head, and the tagedy of what your children inherit from your obsessions, unfulfilled. And obsessiveness is just one point to discuss. There are a thousand other habits that can be broken. Some good. Some bad. But the bad ones got to go for the sake of a life well lived. And you can sense you’re destruction in them. I’m glad to be emptying my mind in this journal. Way to much to keep locked up inside. Better to get it down and out. Set oneself free.

and the love was actually a glimpse of the profound bliss we all are capable of feeling

i’ve searched and waited for it to happen for a long time afterward until i gave up

it was then that i found it again and now experience it several times a week

to have glimpsed the human potential has changed my purpose from what i want to do

to what i sense is wanting to be born into this world.

Copyright (c) Michael Pokocky 15.01.10

# I am having apple pie with ice creme right now at John Le Grec. Just waiting ’cause they had to go out and get the ice creme — for me?, how kind. I love writing in the black artist sketchbook I have returned to from the moleskin’s because they are too expensive. The artist sketch book: more room, whiter paper in dim conditions relfects the light better for these old eyes, well its just plain fine. Ah the apple pie has arrived.

# Something is speaking to me. For me. And sharing my journal yesterday is like opening up myself not to boast or to invite attention but rather to give to give for I need nothing back from this you see. I am at peace with this; perhaps I have found that one true thing that is in line with how I actually live my life everyday. Its been an everyday for many years. Why did I hide from this; or did it hide from me because I was not open to it.

# Awake Awake

an opening through the bush

a snow covered field

a lone deer crossing

and i am breathless

within without

am awakening

i know not what it is

yet the deer stands still now

i am lost to my thoughts

overhead the cry of an eagle

joyfully i look up

forgetting the breathless moment of the deer

i am one with the eagles cry

suddenly i am hit heavy

a profound weight on my shoulders

what happened

the disconnect was but for a moment

the breathless deer

the crying eagle would be forever

this duality of breathlessness and broken pervades my thoughts

and we spend eternity trapped in that incipient Hell

awake awake

is the proverbial whispers we don’t hear

copyright (c) Michael Pokocky 15.01.10

# I am not feeling as lost this year as I have been for the last 20. I wonder what this means. Ah I don’t really need to know. I am “doing” instead of “thinking” and the second I think I am dead again. Must keep on this peaceful path. There is no stress nor effort other than my pen scratching across the paper. I can hear it now and its a melodic mantric melody keeping me sane.

# Thank you Blessed Virgin Mary. Use me as you wish. All I care about is that you take care of my family as you have for so many years now. Thank you for blessing my family with the Holy Spirit in the name of the one who never cried out ever especially the day he was beaten to a pulp and nailed to the cross. I shall call out His name for I honor you Son, Jesus.

Last spring I was suddenly involved in a poetry book illustration project… and here is the result:I am proud to announce today the publication of this book, called

“The Unreasonable Man”

and written by the Australian poet

Tariq Segal.

In his own words

“Well… I’m thrilled to announce, the release of my book, my thoughts about life, through the years that this took.
Glad that it’s finished, and glad that I spent, time penning my thoughts, letting emotions vent…”

The book is designed as a coffee table poetry book. It contains 60 of Tariq’s favourite poems with each poem accompanied by either an illustration or photograph.

Tariq says:

“.. I think the artwork alone is worth owning a copy, and being able to review my thoughts as well can only but confirm your own sanity…”

Well I must confess, most of these illustrations, about 50 I guess, are my paintings. 🙂

And here is what I have written in the preface of the book:

“Having myself been an „unreasonable“ person from the very beginning of my life, my encounter with The Unreasonable Man could not fail. As I started reading his poetry, I felt at once a deep connection to his wild world of thoughts, passion and revolt, and agreed at once to become with my art, a part of it.

I was amazed to see how many of my paintings seemed to have been created exactly for his poems, illustrating in vibrant colours, lines, forms and structures what the poet is saying in words and the empty spaces in between.

But not each of his poems found its rightful painting.. We both collaborated in a weird process of re-creation, by which the characters featured in some of my paintings started to assume a life of their own, moving and wandering around, invading Tariq’s universe of poetry, in search of their own particular place among his words. Sometimes they even ended up taking possession of other paintings, either chasing the original occupants away or, more peacefully, finding their place at their side. You will understand what I mean when you look at the original works through my websites!

Anyway, to work on the illustration of „The Unreasonable Man“ was a totally new and very exciting experience in dealing with my own art, seeing me naturally „forcing“ them to interact and fit to the words.

I want to thank Tariq for this wonderful experience and his wise and creative advice in the choice of the paintings.“

The days fall like dominoes
One, Two, Three, Four
They are relentless, until the last
A cascade, a waterfall of time, unslowing
Enjoy the moments in between
Enjoy the seldom seen
If we could stop an instant and hold it in our hand
But it ripples through our fingers like a grain of sand
And the days repeat and disappear
Too fast to seize the moment
Too quick to grasp the portent
Until the end of our toppled life comes into view
A pile of days, all used by you
Like dominoes.

About Café Crem

Hello Boys & Girls from around the World!

Fancy a coffee with us?

Café Crem was created by Miki and Kev Moore in 2007 with the intention of gathering like-minded artists, writers and musicians together around the coffee table to discuss and share thoughts, ideas, art, etc.

This initial desire has surpassed our wildest dreams with a myriad of collaborations taking place between the various members, creating pieces of work that simply would not exist without Café Crem.

Have a wander though in our different rooms:

“Cafe Literati”, the Literary Room

“Café L’Arte”, the Art Gallery

“Ca’ Puccini”, the Music Studio

and, last but not least,

“The MiniBar”, our creative space for our kids and teens!

You are all welcome.

Contact Miki at miki@goodaboom.com if you want to participate!

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Cafe Crem’s Video of The Month

The Flamencoscapes by Miki

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